Seniors rest at a IKEA store in Beijing. (Photo/Chinanews.com)
(ECNS) -- Recent cold fronts have significantly brought down temperatures in Beijing days before the start of this year's heating service across the capital. Many retirees are eyeing stores like IKEA as ideal places to hide from the cold, according to Beijing Morning Post.
A woman surnamed Li in her 50s is a frequent visitor to IKEA's canteen. "Here we can enjoy free tea and coffee, soft couches and warm air conditioning. We can also have our lunch here. For me it's a perfect place to spend my day," she said.
Like Li, many other aged people were occupying tables at the canteen playing board games, chatting or reading. Some of them brought snacks and beverage with them.
A woman surnamed Wu and her friend brought their grandchildren to IKEA's amusement area. Wu said they used to go to outdoor parks, but now it's too cold to play outside.
A staff member at IKEA said the store has had its heating turned on for half a month, adding that they have gotten used to people seeking shelter at the store. He said it is free to stay if other customers don't complain.
To better accommodate Chinese customers, IKEA has been making efforts to provide thoughtful services and cozy shopping environments at its stores.
However, the customer-friendly policy is also causing headache at the Swedish furniture giant. In October, one of IKEA's store in Shanghai's Xuhui District had to announce a "no pay, no entry" policy at its eatery.
The move was taken as an overdue response to some elderly residents who turned the restaurant into a regular place to socialize without buying anything.
After the decision made by the Shanghai store, the two IKEA malls in Beijing have promised not to follow suit.
An employee with IKEA Beijing's Siyuanqiao store said despite the occasional socializing groups of senior citizens at the store, they had never come across a similar problems like those seen in Shanghai and there was no need to impose a restriction.
Beijing's heating season usually starts on November 15 and ends on March 15. But these services may be turned on earlier if the city sees five consecutive days with average temperatures below 5 Celsius.
